The present invention relates generally to the mounting of pedal controls positioned for foot operation. More particularly, this invention pertains to the mounting of guitar effects on a pedal board for heavy duty applications.
Several United States Patents have been directed towards the general area of art including the mounting of foot pedals. Generally, these pedals are for use with keyboards. The patents include: U.S. Pat. No. 3,433,881, issued to Cotton, on Mar. 18, 1969; U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,415, issued to Izquierdo, on May 1, 1984; U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,468, issued to Peterson, et al, on Dec. 18, 1984; U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,467, issued to Brown, on Nov. 24, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,986, issued to Cota, on Aug. 22, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,951, issued to Peller, on Sep. 26, 1995; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,829, issued to Pecoraro, on Feb. 2, 1999.
Of these patents, only one is directed towards the use of guitar pedal mounting board or rack. U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,829 issued to Pecoraro on Feb. 2, 1999 discloses a pedal rack. This invention discloses the use of a case with a lower member for mounting multiple pedal systems with a vertically pivotal component rack. This patent illustrates the problems associated with prior art for mounting guitar effects pedals as used in the industry.
Musicians playing electronically amplified guitars tend to use small, electronic, sound altering devices called xe2x80x9cguitar sound effectsxe2x80x9d to change the natural sound of their instruments. These sound effect devices, commonly called effects pedals, rest on the floor when in use and are controlled by foot operation switches in order to leave the user""s hands free to play the instrument.
Since the introduction of guitar effects in the late 1960""s, the common practice of using several different effects in a simultaneous manner has presented a common problem. When these multiple effects pedals are used together, they must be interconnected by cables to the original source of the sound to be altered, and then connected to the amplification system. These devices and cables generally rest on the floor of the performance area or stage. This presents the risk of the devices moving out of place when stepped on or activated. Additional dangers are present because the scattered arrangement of these devices leads to them being kicked or tripped over, which can lead to the accidental disconnection of one or more of the devices. This is a common occurrence, especially on a dimly lit stage. Further problems may be encountered because of the risk of internal electronic damage to this equipment and the amplification system or guitar being played.
The prior art solution for this problem is to mount the guitar pedal effects on a wooden board to position the effects in place. The cables are then inserted into the adapters on the guitar effects and arranged between the pedals on the board. The wooden board may be placed in a carrying case and the cables covered by foam so that the cables are not exposed. This restricts the ability to change out or one effect for another or add an additional effect because the foam must be removed to uncover the cable connections, the effect removed from the board, the cables repositioned for the new effect, the new effect positioned on the board, the cables rerouted, and the foam re-cut or replaced for the new effect.
What is needed, then, is an improved pedal effects board which allows easy positioning and changing of the individual guitar effects while providing a confined and secure area for cable routing and placement.
The effect support board of the present invention provides an optimum solution to the problems detailed in the prior art. The present invention provides to an effect support board for mounting a guitar effect above an area. A guitar effect may include a bottom surface and an adapter which allows for connection to a cable. The effect support board includes an effect mounting surface which is adapted to support the bottom surface of the guitar effect. This effect mounting surface includes a cable connection opening which is adapted to allow the cable to pass from the adapter on the guitar effect through the effect mounting surface into a cable routing and storage area which allows for the cable to be kept contained and out of the way during use of the effect pedals. This effect mounting surface is mounted on a frame which is adapted to support the effect mounting surface and take the rigors and impact associated with travel, playing, set-up, and teardown of the musical systems.
The present invention also teaches the method for constructing an effect support board, which is adapted to support a guitar effect. This method includes providing at least two end members and at least two cross members with each cross member having an upper surface and rigidly connecting the end members and cross members such that an upper surface of the cross members form an effect mounting surface and define a cable connection opening which passes through the effect mounting surface.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention teaches an effect support board for mounting a guitar effect above an area. This embodiment includes a support structure and at least two top surface elements connected to the support structure. The top surface elements include leg extensions which project from the support structure so that the top surface elements define edges of a first cable connection opening.
Further improvements include a frame support base for inclining the effect mounting surface and the addition of a frictional element to allow for repositioning and removal or replacement of an effect on the effect mounting surface.